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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29417685">Kunik (Breathe)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrishSkumring/pseuds/SeaCollectsRivers'>SeaCollectsRivers (IrishSkumring)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Terror (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aromantic Character, Comfort No Hurt, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Exhaustion, FWB Blanky and Harry, Friendship, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Platonic Kissing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:06:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,366</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29417685</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrishSkumring/pseuds/SeaCollectsRivers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Blanky steals an exhausted Harry away for a few moments</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry D. S. Goodsir &amp; Thomas Blanky, Harry D. S. Goodsir/Thomas Blanky, Hinted</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The Terror Rarepair Week 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Kunik (Breathe)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>for rarepair week! this was meant to be done by february 10, for <i>stolen moments</i>. i'm late for that, so here's to the free space instead. set in some nebulous time after Carnivale, but before they abandon ship.</p><p>i've no idea if Blanky would have his own berth, but going from <a href="http://www.zen134237.zen.co.uk/The_Terror_1x01_-_Go_For_Broke.pdf">this handy dandy note on the chain of command from the 2013 pilot script</a> (nabbed from <a href="https://www.notion.so/Cold-Boys-Research-Central-f2a2d599a4864fb29de888e5d7316eef">Cold Boys Research Central</a>), Ice Master is quite high ranking, so I assumed.</p><p>enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">"Mr. Blanky-"</p><p class="p1">"Thomas, Harry, you know this. Tom, if you're feelin' friendly." Blanky threw a wink at Harry over his shoulder, which he answered with a huff and a small smile. Blanky had fetched Harry from <em>Terror</em>'s sick bay, asking him to accompany him to the ice master's berth. Until they were practically at Blanky's door, Harry hadn't thought to protest that he needed to go over the medical inventory and pack before the walk out.</p><p class="p1">"Thomas. I truly do not have much time for any- any <em>extended visits</em>, at the moment, nor am I sure I've the inclination, to be entirely honest."</p><p class="p1">"Aw, don't think me so base. You're likely to keel over before we've even abandoned ship, Harry, I don't think I'd enjoy that." They've reached Blanky's berth, now. "No, I was more in the mind of one last shared proper bed, before we're sleepin' on thin blankets on the ice. Jus' a warm body and some quiet, hm?"</p><p class="p1">As he talked Blanky grabbed Harry's hand, slid the door open, and pulled him inside. Harry couldn't quite find it in him to resist - he <em>was</em> abominably tired, there was no denying; when Blanky had come to find him, he hadn't even heard the Ice Master before he put a hand on Harry's shoulder, despite the wooden leg announcing him well before he entered any rooms these days. There was just so much to do, now, with three doctors gone and only an anatomist left to go over two ships worth of medical supplies. John Bridgens was a great help, but Harry still felt a need to go over everything personally. Not for lack of trust in Mr. Bridgens. Rather a lack for trust in himself.</p><p class="p1">Blanky had taken off his woolen coat and knitted gloves, and was frowning at Harry who was still standing just inside the door, lightly swaying on his feet. With a tug Blanky managed to manipulate Harry to sit down on his bunk, and then he slowly and methodically stripped off the outer layers that were necessary even belowdecks these days. Harry, who had felt the exhaustion catching up with him quicker now that he wasn't occupying his mind, clumsily tried helping.</p><p class="p1">When Harry was down to his gansey - borrowed - Blanky glared down at his boots. "Well, lad, I'm no good on my knees much anymore. You'll have to keep them on."</p><p class="p1">"Your linens…"</p><p class="p1">"They'll manage, Harry. I'll keep mine on too, yeah - both o' them, in case I'm needed on my feet." He stomped once with his wooden foot, and chuckled.</p><p class="p1">Harry's head swam. He kept his gaze locked on Blanky's feet, but didn't see much of anything. A curious burning sensation had started behind his eyes, and something was building up in his throat. He could feel his shoulders hunching, his hands fisting the sheets. A low whine escaped him.</p><p class="p1">"C'mere lad." Blanky had stepped forward, between Harry's legs. He put one arm around his shoulders, the other hand coming up to gently bring Harry's head forward to rest on Blanky's stomach. He didn't let out the sob that was threatening in his throat, but he allowed exhausted tears to fall as Blanky carded fingers through his curls. Blanky didn't say anything, didn't murmur any hushed consolation as Harry's mother might have, but Harry found Blanky's steady breathing consoling enough. He could focus on that, on matching his own breathing to Blanky's. Once he got it under control, he leaned back and wiped a hand over his face. Blanky's hands didn't leave him, merely moved to his shoulders as the older man peered into his face.</p><p class="p1">"Alright, Harry?"</p><p class="p1">Harry nodded. "What, uhm. What was it you wanted to show me, Mr. Blanky?" he sniffed, offering a shaky smile.</p><p class="p1">Blanky huffed a soft laugh, as he moved one hand to chuck Harry under the chin. "Glad t'see your cheek returning, Doctor Goodsir." He bent down, pressed a dry kiss to Harry's forehead, his nose, his lips. Before Blanky could pull away, Harry leaned forward to capture his lips again, to extend the kiss into a proper one. As he released Blanky's lower lip from between his teeth, gently, Blanky smiled and stroked a thumb under Harry's eye, his fingers tangled in his whiskers.</p><p class="p1">"Budge up now, there's a lad."</p><hr/><p class="p1">They were tangled up together, Blanky on his back in a position somewhat comfortable for him while still wearing his leg, Harry on his side with his nose pressed under Blanky's chin. His hand, arm slung over Blanky's stomach, was under Blanky's shirt, revelling in the warm skin. Blanky's hand, the one whose arm was trapped under Harry, was idly stroking Harry's back.They'd been quiet for some time. Harry had allowed himself to float in the present, to purge his mind of all the pressing tasks he'd set himself. He could feel them still, at the edge of his thoughts, waiting to be let back in again, but he was calmer now.</p><p class="p1">"Bl- Thomas?"</p><p class="p1">"Yh," came a grunt from above. Awake, then, but barely so.</p><p class="p1">Harry cleared his throat. "You've been stuck in the ice before? With Sir John Ross."</p><p class="p1">"…aye, I have."</p><p class="p1">"Isn't this… I mean, there is the creature, I realise, the, the <em>tuunbaq</em>, but still, this must be… this cannot be that much worse than then? And most of your men survived to be rescued by the <em>Isabella</em>, did they not?"</p><p class="p1">Blanky was silent. Fear gripped Harry for a moment, but he was well used to these waves of intense feelings by now. They came and went as if his soul suddenly remembered the reality of their situation, ever since Lieutenant Gore had died. His thumb stroked Blanky's side, under his shirt. Blanky shifted, minutely, and pressed his lips to Harry's forehead.</p><p class="p1">"I don't know if this can compare, Harry. But I do trust both our Captains on this expedition a hell of a lot more than I ever did Sir John Ross." Harry felt Blanky smile. "I'd say don't tell 'em, but Captain Fitzjames has heard worse from me, recently even, and I've heard much worse from Francis over the years."</p><p class="p1">Harry couldn't quite bring himself to laugh. He did feel lighter. Not happy, but lighter. He pressed his body even closer to Blanky.</p><hr/><p class="p1">Harry had managed to doze for some minutes, when a polite knock sounded at Blanky's door. Mr. Bridgens careful voice spoke outside. "Mr. Blanky, I'm sorry to interrupt."</p><p class="p1">"What is it, Mr. Bridgens?"</p><p class="p1">"If you happen to know where Dr. Goodsir is, let him know he's needed on Erebus."</p><p class="p1">Harry thought he maybe should blush, in shame of Mr. Bridgens knowing his whereabouts. He found he could not, nor did he particularly care to. Both because of his exhaustion, and because Mr. Bridgens was hardly likely to report them to anyone. "Aye, Mr. Bridgens, I'll let him know," answered Blanky. Mr. Bridgens said his thanks, and walked away.</p><p class="p1">With a sigh, Harry extricated himself from Blanky. His head was lighter, that was true; he felt more able to focus and prioritize his tasks, but his body was heavy and unwilling to remove itself from the safe warmth of Blanky's bunk. Slowly he found his clothes, and bundled himself up again.</p><p class="p1">Before he could reach for the sliding door, a hand on his shoulder held him back.</p><p class="p1">"Thomas…" The rest of the sentence he swallowed down, as the hand turned him and slid up to his neck, pulling him in towards the other man. Instead of an expected kiss, Blanky simply leaned their foreheads together. Harry was momentarily stunned, eyes wide. Then Blanky's other hand joined the first, lacing the fingers together at the back of Harry's neck. Blanky was breathing through his nose. His eyes were closed.</p><p class="p1">"Take one more moment, Harry."</p><p class="p1">Harry was abruptly reminded of a custom Silna had told him about, had shown him, around the same time she had shared her name. <em>Kunik</em>. This was not that, he knew - Blanky wasn't inhaling the scent of him - but there was something about it, about skin contact and breathing each other's air, about sharing a moment.</p><p class="p1">Harry sighed, slid his arms around Blanky's shoulders, and closed his eyes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sweet boys</p><p>information about <i>kunik</i> taken from <a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/q-and-a/a2881/answerfella0507/">this esquire article</a></p><p>comments and/or kudos appreciated! &lt;3</p><p>find me on <a href="https://seacollectsrivers.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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